California Biographies
Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
Transcribed by Peggy Hooper
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
Source:
History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
With Biographical Sketches
History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry
Illustrated, Complete In One Volume
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914
MARTIN VAN BAKER.� A long identification with the stock business
in the west, especially in Nevada and Eastern Oregon, has given to Mr.
Raker a thorough knowledge of this section of the country and has made
him conversant with every detail of one of the leading industries for a vast
region of forest range and foothills. Hardships necessarily have come into
such a career. Privations were accepted as a part of the business during
those long years in the open, but there was much of pleasure in the work
and at times something of profit, although the remuneration was not com-
mensurate with the labor involved. Only a few years ago he closed out
his interests in the range country and shortly afterward purchased two
hundred and six acres about two miles northeast of Willits, where since he
has engaged in the raising of grain, hay and potatoes.
The earliest memories of Mr. Baker cluster around Northern California,
though he was born in Wilson county, Iowa, near the Missouri line, in January,
1857. It was in the spring of the same year that his parents, H. W. and Eliza-
beth (Wilkerson) Baker, brought their five children across the plains with a
party of homeseekers. The expedition was of considerable proportions and Mr.
Baker, who owned the major portion of the drove of cattle, was chosen
captain of the train, which he brought through in safety. The trip was made
less difficult by reason of his previous overland journey to California in 1850
and the return trip to the old home a few years afterward. Nor did these
two journeys represent the limit of his knowledge of the vast region west
of the Mississippi, for he had served throughout the Mexican war as a wagon
master and had seen much of the frontier. In recognition of his faithful
service during the war he was awarded a medal by congress and this valued
keepsake is now in the possession of a grandson, Raymond Baker, During
1857 the family settled at Napa, where the father became landlord of an hotel.
Three years later he removed to the Bodega valley. Sonoma county, and
secured a tract of raw land for farming purposes. Twice he paid for the land,
but even then lost it through later proof that it belonged to an old grant.
The year 1865 found the family in Mendocino county, where the father
spent two years on a farm in Walker valley and then bought a claim in the
mountains between Potter valley and Willits, about ten miles east of the
latter place. On this ranch he developed mineral springs that even to this day
hear the name of Baker Springs. His last days were passed in Santa Maria
and he died there in 1909, while his wife also passed away at the same place.
Of their twelve children eight are now living. The fifth of these, Martin Van,
was eight years of age at the time of coming to Mendocino county and lived
here until 1874, when he began to ride the Nevada range as a cowboy for the
Riley & Hardin ranch. At the expiration of three years he was transferred
to the firm's ranch in Eastern Oregon near Burns and there he made his
headquarters for many years, raising horses for one-half interest in the sales.
Unfortunately he refused an offer of $14,000 for his part of the stock. At the
time stock was high and he considered his share worth much more than the
sum offered, but eventually he was forced to sell four hundred head for
$1,000, such had been the depreciation in the values of horses. One of his
most exciting summers was that of 1878, when the Bannock Indians were
on the warpath and kept the cattle and the camp on the move without much
rest.
After his heavy loss in the horse business Mr. Baker was hired by
Mr. Riley to take charge of a herd of twelve thousand cattle and for ten years
he remained on the range until all of the drove had been sold and the business
closed. Meantime he had bought from Mr. Riley the Cahto ranch in Long
valley, Mendocino county, and for a time he made his headquarters on this
place, but when he had sold it he went to Nevada as manager for
Mr. Hardin of the Humboldt Cattle Company. When the interests of that
corporation had been sold he returned to Mendocino county in 1909 and the
following year bought the farm northeast of Willits which he has since
operated. Throughout all of his life since attaining maturity he has voted the
Democratic ticket. While living in Oregon he married Miss Alice Thornberg,
of Burns, that state, a native of Kansas. They are the parents of one son.
Raymond Carl, a graduate of Sweet's Business College at Santa Rosa and
now engaged as bookkeeper for Fairbanks & Baechtel, Willits. While living
in Oregon Mr. Baker was made a Mason in Burns Lodge, F. & A. M., and he
now belongs to Willits Lodge No. 365. while both he and his wife are charter
members of Willits Chapter No. 314, Order of the Eastern Star, and Mrs.
Baker has been honored with the office of matron ever since the organization
of the chapter.